Joseph A. Yelo, administrative director of the center, presented Christman a plaque which recognizes him "as the 100,000th member of the Lehigh Valley community to share his gift of life."

The achievement comes in the 15th year of the blood center, Yelo said, noting that the anniversary will be marked Sept. 5 with a reception in the center.

Christman, an employee of Federal Armor Express, Colmar, gave blood at thecenter July 1 to help a fellow employee who is in Lehigh Valley Hospital Center's trauma unit with severe injuries as a result of a motorcycle accident.

"I donated right after the first phone conversation with his fiancee," Christman said, adding, it was an "emotional talk." He and other employees discussed what they could do to help the victim, including taking up a collection for him. But it became obvious that, "Blood was a real problem," he said. The victim required 50 donors the first week and more than double that amount thereafter, he said.

Since that time, Christman, who resides at 5131 Second St. with his wife, Bernice, has been recruiting blood donors for a special bloodmobile visit to be held in the Souderton area soon for his co-worker, who he declined to name without his permission.

About 100 co-workers, relatives, friends and members of the victim's unit of the National Guard and the community have pledged to donate. A date and location for the bloodmobile visit will be announced.

In a similar instance "a long time ago," Christman gave blood to help an injured hemophiliac child of a friend. "In this case, it kind of enlightened me," Christman said yesterday, citing a the co-worker's tremendous need for blood.

"I found it hurts less to pump a pint of blood out of me than to reach into my wallet, and it means eight times what money is worth. All the way around, it's a good idea. It helps the victim and replenishes the blood supply. If we can replace that blood, we're helping the blood bank."

Yelo said the blood center has "grown dramatically," with a 50 percent increase in demand for blood in the past five years. This year, the center will supply 60,000 units of blood to hospitals in the Lehigh Valley, compared with about 10,000 units when the center opened 15 years ago, Yelo said.

"The Valley is becoming more sophisticated," he said, citing the LVHC trauma center and growth of all hospitals in the area. Blood usage has not peaked in this part of the county, he said, adding, "We feel it will level off in three to four years."

The center will observe its anniversary with a reception at 4 p.m. Sept. 5. Guests will include the mayors of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton; members of area chambers of commerce, and members of the blood center's Five Gallon Plus donor group.

The idea for a community blood bank began with a decision to designate the many memorial gifts to the late Samuel W. Miller, a former owner and publisher of the Call-Chronicle Newspapers, as seed money to establish a frozen-blood program. A planning committee of Hospital Central Services, Allentown, investigated the possibilities, and the concept of a full-service facility was recommended.

The Miller family added impetus to the project by matching the existing memorial gifts to equip the blood center. Ground was broken in November 1970, and the center opened in September 1971.